Kartini Orchestra tunes into women's achievements

Kartini Orchestra tunes into women's achievements

JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of prominent guests packed the
auditorium for a rare and unusual event -- a music concert
organized and performed exclusively by women in celebration of
their achievements.

Televisi Pendidikan Indonesia (TPI) organized the all-female
Kartini Orchestra in celebration of Kartini Day at the Plenary
Hall of the Jakarta Hilton Convention Center last Monday night.
The concert testified to the achievements of women, both in music
and national development.

Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, the general manager of the station,
said at the concert opening that Indonesian women play an
important role in the country's development. Many of them are
leaders in their fields, including music, she added.

"The condition of Indonesian women is progressing
significantly, and we owe this to Ibu Kartini," said the
prominent businesswoman, better known as Mbak Tutut.

Concert guests included Minister of Social Welfare Inten
Suweno, State Minister for Women's Roles Mien Sugandhi, and Chief
of the Armed Forces Gen. Hartono.

R.A. Kartini is considered the pioneer in women's emancipation
in Indonesia. She was born to a noble family in Rembang, Central
Java and married a local regent. Kartini died at the age of 25 on
Sept. 17, 1904, several days after giving birth to her only
child.

The government of Indonesia declared Kartini a national
heroine in 1964. The anniversary of her birth on April 21 has
been observed as Kartini Day ever since.

The two-hour concert, broadcast live on TPI, was indeed
special. The producers, lighting crews, musicians, and singers
were all women. The performers ranked among the best of
Indonesian performers, including the Lacuisa Choir, singer-
composer Titiek Puspa, Dewi Yull, Andi Meriem Matalata, Ruth
Sahanaya, Elvi Sukaesih, rock singer Nicky Astria, AB-Three,
Elfa's Trio, the Rida-Sita-Dewi Trio and female members of the
Srimulat comedy group.

The rarity of the event was a reminder that although female
musicians have taken part in many world-class orchestral groups,
discrimination against them persists.

Case in point is the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in
l842. Famed for its annual New Year's concert, the orchestra
excluded female musicians until earlier this year. It lifted the
ban grudgingly in response to sustained criticism from
politicians and rights groups in Austria and abroad.

The orchestra's director argued that a group containing women
could have its activities paralyzed by female musicians falling
pregnant and taking long maternity leaves.

The idea to organize the women's orchestra in Indonesia came
from pianist-arranger Widya Kristianti. "I established this
orchestra only two months ago. I feel such gratitude to have this
rare opportunity to realize my dream," she said.

Widya conceded it was difficult to find the female musicians
for the orchestral group, and she had to draw from among amateurs
and professionals.

"Some of the members are housewives and employees who have
many activities," she said. "We had only one month's rehearsal
for this concert. Members from Yogyakarta only had a three-day
rehearsal."

She admitted there were still many shortcomings in the maiden
concert.

The evening opened with Galactic Funk, a contemporary jazz
piece originally performed by Japanese jazz group Casiopea.
Melody and bass guitars played by Annie and Lies Arifin were
dominant in this piece.

No classical pieces were on the night's program. The
orchestra, which played half-team, concentrated more on pop,
rock, jazz and dangdut, the local musical form derived from
Indian and Malay traditions.

The concert proceeded smoothly with Ismail Marzuki's
composition Melati di Tapal Batas (Jasmine on the Border), sung
almost perfectly by Dewi Yull. Singer Andi Meriem Matalata
continued with the pop composition Jangan Sangsikan Cintaku
(Don't Doubt My Love) written by Diyanti Rukmana, the pen name of
Mbak Tutut.

Titik Puspa performed her own composition,Potret Ibu (Mother's
Portrait), a song she dedicated to the late First Lady Ibu Tien
Soeharto.

Although still a novice conductor, Widya tried her best. But
the lion's share of plaudits must go to Ruth Sahanaya and the
Lacuisa Choir. With her three-octave voice, Ruth flawlessly
presented Somewhere by Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein.

Lacuisa gave a rousing rendition of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody.
The show closed with H. Mutahar's Ibu Kartini sung by all the
artists.

The audience took in stride the occasional weaknesses in the
orchestra's harmony, realizing the event marked an important
cultural milestone. The debut showed that more practice and
endeavor may one day bring Indonesia its own distinguished
women's orchestra. (raw)